Saturday, February 16, 2013

Flow of blood continues: Martyrs at Cox's Bazaar

On the 15th of February, after Jumuah prayers, a
procession was brought out under the banner the Maulana Sayedee Mukti Parishad
at Bazarghata area of Cox’s Bazaar, with supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami
Chhatro Shibir and the Olama Mashayekh. As the procession went east through the
main road of the city, hundreds of musallis joined it from different
mosques on the way. The procession was followed by a large police contingent.
They seemed peaceful. The protesters surged forward not knowing of the massacre
that was about to be unleashed.

As the procession reached Rumaliarchora area, police
stationed at Hashemia gate obstructed the procession and started firing indiscriminately.
The protesters retaliated by throwing bricks. The bullets rained and two of the
protesters died on the spot as hundreds were bullet ridden. Many bullet ridden
protesters writhed on the ground as others fled the scene in self defence and
tried to escape through alleyways. Police were seen shooting into alleyways as
they pursued the protesters.

As news of the deaths spread around the city, anger spread like
wildfire among the general population. They brought out a procession along with
the Jamaat-Shibir activists. A huge procession was brought out from the bus
terminal area of the city towards the west. The procession engulfed the police
and barricaded the intersection. Getting hold of the situation, police stopped
firing. Around 200 police were kept under siege at Hashemia Madrassah by the
angry protesters for about 3 hours. The BGB was deployed in an attempt to
control the situation. The angry protesters ended their intersection barricade after
talks with the administration. The situation seemed to have come under control.
The protesters started leaving the area.

But more sorrow was to come. As the protesters were leaving the area, some
came under the armed attack of a group of ruling party activists and the
Chhatro League. Many were injured as the cadres attacked fleeing protesters by
opening fire.

BGB and police were seen to patrol the streets as the administration
imposed section 144 in wake of these events.

Cries of
the wounded and the bullet ridden echoed through the premises of the District Sadar
hospital and the Fuad Al Khatib hospital as injured protesters and their
families poured in at regular intervals. Officials at the District Sadar
hospital said that at least 9 emergency cases had been referred to Chittagong
Medical College.